This recipe is sure to become a family hit because, well, hello bacon! Whether you’re preparing a casual weeknight dinner or hosting an elegant special occasion, these bacon wrapped asparagus bundles promise to add a touch of indulgence and flavor that everyone will love.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It only requires 3 key ingredients, the rest you likely already have in your pantry.
- It’s VERY easy to make this restaurant quality side dish.
- Multiple Cooking Methods. I prefer the oven method, but sometimes I just don’t want to heat up the house so I’ve tested this recipe using an air fryer, on the stovetop and using a grill.
Ingredients to Make Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
The first step to preparing this, or any recipe, is to read and understand the recipe, collect all the equipment you’ll need and to gather and measure all of the ingredients required to make Bacon wrapped asparagus. In culinary terms, this is called “Mise en Place,” which means “Everything in its Place.” Prereading the recipe, preparing ingredients, and setting up any needed equipment in advance not only speeds up cooking but also ensures you are familiar with the recipe steps, and that all the necessary components are ready for the dish.
- Asparagus Spears: Fresh, and trimmed to the same length. Remember to cut or snap the woody end off of the stalks.
- Bacon: When selecting bacon for this recipe, I choose thinner slices so it wraps the asparagus more tightly and will become crisp in the oven. Thick sliced bacon may not fully cook before the asparagus begins to burn.
- Olive Oil: Use quality Olive Oil You know what I say, if you don’t like it off of a spoon, you won’t like it in your dish.
- Garlic Powder: Beyond the convenience, using garlic powder allows the garlic flavor to spread consistently over all of the asparagus.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Not very much. You aren’t so much adding heat as you are adding a subtle, “What is that?” taste to each bite. Of course, you can adjust the amount of red pepper to your taste.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano is the undisputed King of parmesan cheese. If you can find it, Parmigiano-Reggiano WILL make a difference. Of course you can substitute any parmesan cheese. It’s best to grate your own for the best flavor.
How to Prepare Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
I have included step-by-step images to make it easy to follow this recipe at home. For the complete printable recipe details and ingredient measurements, please refer to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the asparagus. Wash, then remove the tough woody end. You can do this by quickly snapping the ends off or by cutting them off. Cut all the asparagus spears to roughly the same length.
- Place the cleaned and prepared asparagus into a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Then mix to evenly coat.
- Place a slice of bacon diagonally on your work surface, place three spears of asparagus onto the bacon and roll to wrap the bacon around the asparagus spears. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray (see note #1 on the recipe card below).
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven. Cook for 18-20 minutes until the bacon is lightly browned (see note #2 on the recipe card below).
- Garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Alternative cooking methods
As I mentioned above, I prefer using the oven to cook bacon-wrapped asparagus, but an air fryer, the stovetop, or a grill work equally well.
- Air fryer method: Place the bacon wrapped asparagus bundles onto a non-stick sprayed air fryer basket and air fry at 400F for 7-8 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
- Stovetop method: Take a large non-stick or cast iron skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the bacon wrapped asparagus bundles without overcrowding the pan when the oil becomes hot. Cook for several minutes and then turn to cook the other side. Continue cooking until the asparagus becomes tender and the bacon is crispy.
- Grilled method: Heat the grill and cover with foil. Prep the asparagus and bacon as outlined above, and place onto the foil. Grill for 18-20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Recipe Variations
- Different meat. In place of bacon, try turkey bacon or prosciutto.
- Add sweetness. Melt butter in a small pan and add some brown sugar. Drizzle over the bacon wrapped asparagus before baking.
- Try other cheeses. Substitute goat cheese, gouda or mozzarella.
Storage
For the ultimate taste experience, enjoy these bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles immediately after cooking while the asparagus is tender and the bacon is still hot and crispy.
- Store: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Cool the leftovers then place in a Ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw prior to reheating.
- Reheating: You can reheat in a microwave, air-fryer, or preheated oven. The air-fryer or oven will yield the best results as the microwave may make the asparagus somewhat mushy.
Bon appetit!
PrintSavory Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Recipe
Looking for a delicious appetizer or side dish to impress your guests? Look no further than this savory bacon-wrapped asparagus recipe. The perfect combination of crispy bacon and tender asparagus will have your taste buds begging for more.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 asparagus bundles 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 18 Asparagus Spears, trimmed, thicker spears work best
- 6 slices Bacon, use regular to thin cut (not thick cut)
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (feel free to add more, or less, according to your taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese, grated (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash the asparagus and remove the woody end of each stalk by snapping it off or cutting it off. Cut all the asparagus to the same length.
- Place the asparagus into a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix to evenly coat all the asparagus spears.
- Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray (see note # 1 below). Grab three asparagus spears and wrap them diagonally with a strip of bacon. Start near the bottom and work up towards the top leaving approximately 1 – 1 ½ inches of the asparagus exposed at both ends. Place the wrapped asparagus onto the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the bacon is crisp and begins to brown. (See note #2 below)
- Remove from the oven. Garnish with the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- You aren’t restricted to using a baking sheet. You are free to use any baking dish that you choose.
- PRO-TIP – place the baking sheet under a broiler for the final two minutes of cooking to brown the bacon. This is easy in an electric oven where you can simply turn on the broiler. Otherwise, use caution not to get burnt when you transfer the pan as there will be bacon grease on the pan. DON’T WALK AWAY! The asparagus can go from nicely cooked to burnt very quickly under a broiler.
